Measuring instrument.



F. H. PIERPONT.

MEASURING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18,1906.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

3 BHEETSSHEET l.

F. H. PIERPONT. MEASURING INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1906.

904,560. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

q a SHEETSSHEET 2.

1X 11 cacao F. H, PIERPONT.

MEASURING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION gILBD JULY 18,1906.

904,560. Patented.Nov.24,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I A auwi marked thereon.

UNITED STATES- FRANK HINMAN PIERPONT, or HOBLEY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB. 'ro LANSTQN 'noNo'rYrE' PATENT orrrcn MACHINE COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, oonroaa'rlouor' VIR- GINIA.

INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Ratent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK HINM'AN PIER erence being had tothe accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures andlettersof reference This invention relates to sin improved measuring instrument, and has for its objectto provide a simple and effective instrument which shall register on a scale, readily read-..

able by the naked eye, micrometrical differences in dimension. 7

In carrying out the invention a rod movable endwise is operatively connected to an index arm by means of a knife-edge member so that the movements of the rod are communicated to the index arm A feature of the invention is the provision with the endwise movable rod so arranged as to tend to move towards the object to be measured of a spring or weight normally opposing such tendency and a manual con trol device whereby the action of the spring or weight is neutralized to permit the'rod to approach and abut against the object to' be measured.

A measuring instrument according to this invention may comprise a sup ortfor the body to be measured, a scale 0 which each division represents say, for exam le, one twenty-thousandth of an inch, an in ex arm, pivoted at one end while its other end is formed as an index-pointer positioned in front of the scale, and a rod, the latter ar-. ranged sothat one end tends to-engage a sur ace of a body on the support, while its other end is operatively connected byaknifeedge to the index-arm so that endwise movement of the rod will swing the'ar'm and move its index point across the scale.

A preferred construction of a measuring instrument embodying the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which A Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a side view of a complete instrument. Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 15a section A, vertical rod 0 is carried in the sleeve, so

as to be capable of endwise movement there! signs indicate like parts in.

. Patented Nov. 24,1908.

taken on the lined-. 4 of Fig. 3, parts being A in, andis normally held in a determined position by means of a block 0 pinned or otherwise secured thereto and resting on thetop of the sleeve. The upper portion of the rod is supported by a bearing in a horizontal portion of a bracket top of the post A 1 The top of the rod is as a truncated cone (see Fig. 6) and its fiat upper surface 0 supports a knife edge D carried eccentrically on a short horizontal rocking-spindle- D- constituting a multiply-; ing member of which the ends are pivotally A fixed onto the preferably formed supported by screw pins D mounted in ver-.'

tical portions of the bracket A. Preferably the knife e- D is formed by cutting away a portion 0 the rocking spindle as shown best in Fig. 6.

Secured on to the front end of the spindle D say by a screw D* is an arm D, hereinafter called the index arm Conveniently .the spindle is provided as shown in the figures with an upward projection on lug to receive the screw D The indexarm is curved outwardly at its lower end to pass through a slot E formed in a plate E se cured on the instrument frame. Beneath the'slot is arran eda scale E, over which per end of the bushing A the ends of the;

fork arms being pivoted on' to a block A fixed on the post A The arms H of the fork rest on pins H projecting from the sleeve B, slots being formed .in the bushing for the passage of the pins, so that pressure on the. key compresses the spring and allows the rod C'todes'eend. 7

- and a pointer'K may be provided adjust-' The bottom of the rod C ends in a point,

and below the rod is a table or support K for the object to be measured. "The table is supported by a micrometer screw device K of known construction, carried in a lug extending from the standard A. The edge of the table may be provided with an'in'dex K ably mounted on'the screw device. 7

A light weight D may be adjustably clamped on the index-arm to insure that the arm exactly and readily follows the movements of the vertical rod, if the weight of the arm be deemed not sufiicient for this purpose. v The index-arm is so proportioned that a vertical movement of the rod one twentythousandth of an inch in extent'will cause the pointer of the index-arm to swing through an arc of a circle of, say, approximately one-eighth of an inch, andthe scale is marked with divisions each representing one such movement, the'center division bein marked zero, so that the instrument may in icate variations of one or more such lengths of movement above and below a standard.

Preferably the spring B is so proportioned that the indexpointer is normally held, as shown in Fig. 1, clear of the scale.

It is evident that the length of the are through which the pointer moves depends on the length of the arm, and that both the size of the scale divisions and the amount of vertical movement they represent may be varied as convenient.

The instrument is operated as follows- Say that it is desired to measure a series of bodies one quarter of an inch thick. The operator by means of the key H compresses the spring B thereby withdrawing retractor B and allowing the rod 0 to descend, and at the same time positions the table, as that when the end of the rod rests thereon the index-arm pointer is at zero on the scale. The key is now released and the rod returns to normal, while by means of the micrometer screw K the table is lowered one quarter of an inch. The body to be measured is now placed on the table underneath the rod. The operator again lowers the key H, and the rod advances automatically until it rests on the upper surface of the body to be measured. If this is correctly proportioned the index-arm pointer will again stop at zero, while any discrepancy above or below that amount will be registered on the scale in twenty-thousandths of an inch. By moving the body about on the table, any.portion of its surface can be tested.

It is evident that the construction of the instrument may be varied in many details without departing. from the spirit of the invention. For instance, a weight might be' employed in place of the spring B and alweight.

3. In a measuring instrument such as dethough the instrument hereinbefore described is a vertical one, it might be arranged with a horizontal rod and indexarm, these two parts being controlled entirely by springs instead -of by gravity in one direction as in the. hereinbefore described instrument. k I

Having thus described my invention what I claim new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i I 1. In a measuring instrument of the character described, the combination of the following elements, to wit; a supporting surface or table; a gravitating measuring rod perpendicular to said supporting surface provided with an engaging surface and a shoulder; a multiplying member pivotally supported and provided with a knife. edge contact located to one side of its axis and in the line of movement of said engaging surface; and a spring actuated retracting member contacting with the shoulder a on the measuring rod and movable longitudinally ofthe latter independently of said rod.

2. In a measuring instrument such as described the combination with the measuring member, indicatorand intermediate multiplying devices, of a spring actuated retractor for returning the measuring member to initial position, said retractor contacting with the measuring member in one direction only and means for effecting the withdrawal of the retractor in the direction of the advance of the measuring member to deposit the latter upon the surface to be measured without pressure other than that due to its own scribed, the combination of the following elements, to wit; a support or table provided with micrometer adjusting devices; a measuring member automatically impelled towards said support and provided with a shoulder; a spring operated retractor arranged to contact with the shoulder on said measuring member and to be withdrawn from engagement therewith; anda lever coupled with said retractor and operating to withdraw the latter in the direction of the advancing movement of the measuring memher and out of contact with the shoulder an oscillating multi lying member provided with an engaging caring to one side its axis of oscillation and in the path of movement of said measuring member; an index hand coupled with said oscillating multiplying member; and a counterweight coupled with said multiplying member and operating to maintain contact between its engaging bearlng and the measuring member.

5; In a measuring instrument such as described, the combination of the following elements, to wit; an'automatically impelled measuring member; multiplving devices connected therewith; a gravitating index coupled with said multiplying devices; and a yieldable retractor engaging said measuring member and separable therefrom to permit the latter to be deposited ilpon the surface to be measured under the pressure of its impelling means alone. I

6. In a measuring instrument such as described the combination of the following elements, to wit; a supporting frame; a multiplying member supported to oscillate upon pivots and provided with a knife edge bearing located to one side of its axis of oscillation; an index arm secured to said multiplying member; a measuring rod perpendicular to and in position to engage said 7 knife edge bearing said rod being movable longitudinally in a fixed bearing and provided with a shoulder; a retractor in the form of a sleeve surrounding said measuring rod and forming a bearing therefor, said sleeve engaging the shoulder carried by the rod; a spring connected to said sleeve and operating in a direction to retract the rod;

and alever engaging said retractor to move the latter in opposition to the spring out of engagement with the shoulder on the measuring rod.

FRANK HINMAN PIERPO NT. Witnesses:

EUSTACE H. B RKE, JOHN J. NEWPORT. 

